The twelve Days of Angstmas
by Buyn
Summary: This was a Christmas Challenge I gave to myself on my tumblr, now I figured it was time to put it here. Lots of ships. Angst for everyone. Well, most of everyone.
1. Chapter 1

The roads into Westerville were icy, but Wes needed to get home. He needed to see everyone. Nick and Jeff wanted him to go see Sherlock with them. Trent wanted to record the duet they had arranged last time they had seen each other. Thaddeus… wanted to be alone. Wes had explained to him, that they needed some air for a while. Until he graduated high school, the world really didn't see him as an adult. It was for the best, really, he didn't want people looking down on Thad at Dalton. Even with the No Tolerance policy about bullying, you could still tell those few people who were bothered about things.

The roads were clear from traffic, as it was pretty late. Early. Whatever. Glancing down at the neon green display, Wes saw 2:57 blink up at him. Was it really nearly 3? Perhaps he should have spent the night somewhere. A redbull in his cup holder sat empty. His fingers drummed across the steering wheel as he felt the energy he once had slip away from him. Fifteen minutes, and he would be home for Christmas. Twenty minutes and he could sleep. Above him, it began to snow. Fluffy flakes fell downwards and he dove into them. They felt like a vortex. Bouncing off the windshield lightly, the snowflakes were a bit distracting. A few stuck to the windshield, and Wes flicked the wipers on. Between the snowflakes and the windshield wipers, it didn't take long for Wes to get a little mesmerized. As the car skated towards a ditch, Wes tried turning and over corrected, sending himself into it anyway.

It felt like hours later when he awoke, hanging in his seat. It was dark, and he was feeling very unbalanced. A liquid was racing up his face, and by the smell in his nose, it was his blood. Both of his shoulders were aching, and his leg felt like it was on fire. It was moments like these he wished they had OnStar. Moving his arm made it burn in the cold temperature of the car, but Wes felt along the ceiling. His hand hit the can of redbull, which rolled away from his light touch. Just at the edge of his grasp, he found his phone, which luckily turned on without a problem. Dialing 911, his head began to be a little fuzzy. The voice on the other side of the line sounded so distant. "This is 911, what is your emergency?"

"I've been in a car accident coming into Westerville, I flipped over. It's so cold. I… I'm bleeding, I think, and I'm so tired." The voice on the other line urged him to stay awake, by asking questions but he was so tired, and it was just so hard, the phone slipped out of his grasp, and he felt his heavy lids slip over his eyes.

Blinding white greeted his eyes as he awoke, Thad coming into view above him. "Is this heaven?"

"Shut up. I thought I lost you. I still might."

"What?"

"The snow, you were in it a while, you've got pneumonia, and an infection from the accident, and your ribs are all… Gods Wes, you're so doped up you can't even tell."

"Can't even tell what Thaddeus?"

"They… they amputated your leg. The door had crumpled around it, and there was nothing they could do."

Wes tried to look down at his leg, but his head was heavy, and he didn't feel up to it. "How'd you get in?"

"I lied. Called you… my husband."

It was strange, how with all the afflictions he had gained overnight, that the pain from that statement hurt more than all of the other pains. Of course that was due to the swill of pain drugs in his system. It felt more like a dull roar in his entire body than pain. But those two words cut him through the heart. "I'm fine Thad. You should go home. Or to school. Do you have school today?"

"Gods, Wes. It's Saturday. It's the 17th."

"It's still December, right?"

"Yes mi dulzura, it's December. Now I'll go and let you rest up. I'll let the nurses know you're up." Thad left through the door, and Wes looked around. He didn't move his head, as it still felt too heavy, but he saw that the curtain was drawn on his left side, and there was a television set on the wall in front of him displaying no picture. A pretty blond nurse came in to look at Wes's vitals.

"You gave your husband quite the scare. He's been in here every day this past week." She took his temperature, and tsked. "You're still running a fever, that's not good. We need to get that infection gone."

"I'm not married."

His days were devoid of any differences. He faded in and out of fevered dreams, and Thad wasn't allowed to visit anymore, since he had lied about his relation. It was for the best, Wes decided, as he knew that it was worse for Thad to see him suffering.

It was another Saturday when he was awake for his parents to be there. He slowly realized that it was Christmas Eve. They shoved presents into his hands, and he tore clumsily at the first two. Tired, he set them on his table. A picture frame, with the three of them at his graduation, and they also got him a book. There were more gifts, but he slipped quietly into sleep again.

The first time he flatlined, they panicked for a moment. He was so young, he shouldn't be this ill. But they stabilized him quickly.

The second time, it took longer, but it was still in the time of safety, and his brain should have been relatively unharmed.

The third time they couldn't revive him.

He hadn't awoken since Christmas Eve, but he hadn't seen the new year through his body's eyes.

On the first day of Angstmas, My Thaddeus gave to me… A warbler fatality.


	2. Chapter 2

It was wrong, and Blaine knew it. For some reason, he just couldn't control himself, and he was on a couch in the back room of scandals. Sebastian smiled as he straddled Blaine. His expertise showed as he ministrated to Blaine's neck. Blaine's head was fuzzy with alcohol, and his lids were drooping.

"Basss. Nooo. Kurt." Sebastian moved his mouth to nibble at Blaine's ear, before whispering into it.

"Don't worry Blaine, just let the alcohol and my little helper loosen up your sensibilities."

"Helperrrr?" It was hard to move his mouth now, and Blaine suddenly wished the room back here wasn't empty. Sebastian was blurry now, and Blaine just wanted to sleep.

"Don't worry Blaine, I'll go slow, and you won't even remember this tomorrow."

It was too bright in the room Blaine awoke in. He was sore, and naked, leaving the impression that he had sex last night. Searching his brain for memories, he remembered going to Scandals without Kurt, who had a family dinner to go to. A warm arm was flung over him, and it seemed misplaced. It was bigger than Kurt's. It held him close to a larger body. Not just taller, but wider too. Craning his neck, and turning slowly to see the face on the other man. His eyes were closed in sleep, but Blaine could recognize him. Karofsky. Blaine eased the arm off of him, and moved to put on his clothes. His clothes were in a stack, folded. Karofsky's clothes were strewn across the room. As Blaine slipped into his boxers, Karofsky turned over in bed and awoke. Hurrying, Blaine slipped into his pants, and pulled on his shirt, but before he was done, Karofsky said one word.

"What?"

That was an entirely good question. Blaine assumed that he had too much to drink and he had come here with him. It was a logical assumption. This incident was just one he didn't want to think about. "I was at Scandal's last night, I assume by our conditions, we both drank to excess, shared a cab, and judging by our clothes, had at least one round of sex. Can we not talk about it, I just want to go home."

"But…"

"I'm sorry, I love Kurt. If I wasn't drunk, I wouldn't have. Not with you." There was pain on his face for a moment, before anger took over.

"You cheated on Kurt? Kurt?"

"I'm going. Goodbye, I hope never to see you again." Blaine left, coat in hand, sliding his feet in his shoes by the door. He took the stairs, hoping to get out of the seedy hotel before Karofsky could dress and catch up to him. Outside, Blaine looked at the streets. He was three blocks from the bar. His wallet and cellphone had been in his pockets, and he called a cab to meet him a few blocks away. Walking to the meeting spot, he checked his texts. 4 from Kurt. 1 from Sebastian.

Hey buddy, did Cubby get you home alright?

Blaine blinked. Cubby? Could that be… it could. He texted Sebastian frantically.

Was he taking me home?

It was cold, and Blaine put his coat on while waiting on a reply. It took a few moments, but the screen flickered, indicating a reply.

Yeah. Why, something wrong?

Blaine snorted. Yeah, something was definitely wrong.

We were in a hotel.

It didn't take very long for the next reply.

Oh god.

Blaine didn't know what to say to that. He really didn't know what to do in this situation. Was it rape? He didn't remember. It didn't seem like the other man had either, but… was he lying?

As he waited for the cab to get there, a strange feeling settled in his stomach. Something was more wrong here. Something worse than infidelity to Kurt. He just couldn't see himself doing that to Kurt.

When he got home, the hurt had turned to anger. His texts from Kurt were well meaning check in texts, and he pushed them away to the back of his head. Logging onto facebook, he updated his status.

Spent an interesting night at Scandals. That's a gay bar. Met up with Dave Karofsky. Because he's gay.

On the second day of Angstmas, Thaddeus gave to me… two roofied gays, and a warbler fatality.


	3. Chapter 3

Sitting on the Warbler's council was quite an honor. David enjoyed being on the council with Thaddeus and Wesley. He mostly liked sitting on the council with Wes. As the third member of the council, David took the minutes at the Warbler meetings. It was mostly about what songs they were deciding on singing, or who was in charge of the arrangement. A particularly tense meeting was spent debating what changes they should make to their uniforms for regionals, and by the end of the meeting they hadn't made a decision, other than changing their normal ties for more dapper bow ties.

In the heat of the moment, with Wes banging his gavel on the sounding block, David reached his hand across to quiet the noise in the loud room. He gripped the other boy's hand slightly longer than just friends ought to. The skin was warm under his fingers. It was as he was rubbing circles with his fingers that David realized he was entering the creepy zone, and drew his hand back quickly. The room was suddenly quiet, and David looked towards the window.

"Do you need a moment alone Council Members Thompson and Nguyen?" asked Thad a little more venomously than he had been earlier in the conversation. "Shall we adjourn until later?" David turned to see Thad leaving the practice room, and a few of the other Warblers got up to join him.

"No. We are not adjourning."

The meeting continued as usual, except for the lack of Thaddeus.

At the end of the meeting all of the warblers left David and Wes alone.

"David, why did you decide to… caress me in the middle of the meeting today?"

That was a good question. A really good question. A question David feared, he didn't know the answer to. "I'm as unsure as you are Wes. I do believe it was due to the pleasant tactile sensations caused by doing it."

"Because it felt good? That's your argument?" Wes quieted himself after his outburst. "This isn't an argument. I'm sorry. I just don't feel that way about you David." Even though he didn't think there was any reasoning to the hand hold, it pained David to hear that Wes didn't care for him romantically. More than it should, which meant that there was a deepset like of Wes, somewhere in the back of his mind.

"So you do like guys too, like they talk about sometimes?"

"Yeah, a bit… wait, who talks about me?"

"…no one Wes. Just go home."

"Who?"

"The other warblers. Trent might have a betting pool."

"That dirty little… I'll have them all diswarbled." Wes rose, pocketing the gavel. He moved to leave and David let him go. The damage was done, and he knew that he needed to find someone else.

The door to 2B was ajar when he got there. A blazer clad individual lay face down on the bed in the center of the room. A few tissues lay near the pillow, but the body seemed peaceful in sleep rather than wracked with sobs. Earlier it had been a different story. David sat on the edge of the bed and laid a hand on Thad's back. "Thaddeus. Thad. Are you okay?"

"Go away." The smaller boy buried his head under his pillow.

"Wesley doesn't want me."

"So here I am? I'm your second choice?" Thad asked through a layer of stuffing.

"He was always your first choice. I thought you should know. He doesn't want me." David decided that this was pointless, and left Thad in his misery. It wouldn't take him too long to figure it out. Right?

But it did.

Too long, and the three parted at graduation, never to see eachother outside of High School reunions. If Thad and David both showed up with husbands vaguely resembling their friend, no one said anything. Not even Wes.

On the third day of Angstmas, Thaddeus gave to me… three exfriends, two roofied gays, and a warbler fatality. Sitting on the Warbler's council was quite an honor. David enjoyed being on the council with Thaddeus and Wesley. He mostly liked sitting on the council with Wes. As the third member of the council, David took the minutes at the Warbler meetings. It was mostly about what songs they were deciding on singing, or who was in charge of the arrangement. A particularly tense meeting was spent debating what changes they should make to their uniforms for regionals, and by the end of the meeting they hadn't made a decision, other than changing their normal ties for more dapper bow ties.

In the heat of the moment, with Wes banging his gavel on the sounding block, David reached his hand across to quiet the noise in the loud room. He gripped the other boy's hand slightly longer than just friends ought to. The skin was warm under his fingers. It was as he was rubbing circles with his fingers that David realized he was entering the creepy zone, and drew his hand back quickly. The room was suddenly quiet, and David looked towards the window.

"Do you need a moment alone Council Members Thompson and Nguyen?" asked Thad a little more venomously than he had been earlier in the conversation. "Shall we adjourn until later?" David turned to see Thad leaving the practice room, and a few of the other Warblers got up to join him.

"No. We are not adjourning."

The meeting continued as usual, except for the lack of Thaddeus.

At the end of the meeting all of the warblers left David and Wes alone.

"David, why did you decide to… caress me in the middle of the meeting today?"

That was a good question. A really good question. A question David feared, he didn't know the answer to. "I'm as unsure as you are Wes. I do believe it was due to the pleasant tactile sensations caused by doing it."

"Because it felt good? That's your argument?" Wes quieted himself after his outburst. "This isn't an argument. I'm sorry. I just don't feel that way about you David." Even though he didn't think there was any reasoning to the hand hold, it pained David to hear that Wes didn't care for him romantically. More than it should, which meant that there was a deepset like of Wes, somewhere in the back of his mind.

"So you do like guys too, like they talk about sometimes?"

"Yeah, a bit… wait, who talks about me?"

"…no one Wes. Just go home."

"Who?"

"The other warblers. Trent might have a betting pool."

"That dirty little… I'll have them all diswarbled." Wes rose, pocketing the gavel. He moved to leave and David let him go. The damage was done, and he knew that he needed to find someone else.

The door to 2B was ajar when he got there. A blazer clad individual lay face down on the bed in the center of the room. A few tissues lay near the pillow, but the body seemed peaceful in sleep rather than wracked with sobs. Earlier it had been a different story. David sat on the edge of the bed and laid a hand on Thad's back. "Thaddeus. Thad. Are you okay?"

"Go away." The smaller boy buried his head under his pillow.

"Wesley doesn't want me."

"So here I am? I'm your second choice?" Thad asked through a layer of stuffing.

"He was always your first choice. I thought you should know. He doesn't want me." David decided that this was pointless, and left Thad in his misery. It wouldn't take him too long to figure it out. Right?

But it did.

Too long, and the three parted at graduation, never to see eachother outside of High School reunions. If Thad and David both showed up with husbands vaguely resembling their friend, no one said anything. Not even Wes.

On the third day of Angstmas, Thaddeus gave to me… three exfriends, two roofied gays, and a warbler fatality.


	4. Chapter 4

It was cold, colder than it should be in Kurt's bed. Kurt tried to bring the blankets tighter around him, but noticed that he was unable. His hands were tied, and there weren't blankets where he was. Opening his eyes, he found only more darkness, as there was something tied over them. A soft blindfold at least, as it didn't press against his eyes in an utterly unpleasant way. Sitting up, he noted that his ankles were also bound to each other. "Mr. Hummel, it looks as though you have awoken." There was someone there, and judging by the voice, this wasn't an exciting new game his boyfriend thought up.

"I'm glad your eyes are working, because it's a bit difficult for mine right now, with whatever is on them." Kurt told his captor. The man laughed a hearty chuckle.

"Mr. Hummel, your father is in politics now. That makes you a prime target for attacks like this. I'm surprised how easy it was to get at you, thanks to a few well placed words with students at your high school." Kurt went through his list of enemies in his head. Were there students at William McKinley so desperate as to sell out him to a kidnapper? It was disquieting to think that last year, he only had David to worry about, and now he was a friend of sorts. This year, someone had sold him into captivity essentially. How could you live with yourself knowing that you might lead to someone's death?

"What's going to happen to me?"

"There's a few different scenarios at play here. Firstly, your father could resign, and we'd return you. Safely. Secondly, your father could pay the ransom, and you'd be returned a little later than planned. Or he could do neither, and we'd dispose of you."

Kurt swallowed slowly. It wasn't the worst situation. He hadn't seen their faces, shows say that if you see their faces you're going to die, because you can identify them afterwards.

Burt didn't have a half of a million dollars. If he resigned, it would leave the mud slingers for the office. He needed to do that, but he also knew he needed to make sure his son was still alive. So when the call came in he asked for proof of life, proof that his son was still with them, and still well. Burt asked for Kurt to sing. Sing something he hadn't for any competition with Glee, something that no one would have been able to record.

The phone was silent for a moment.

Another moment passed. Then, he could hear singing. "_Flower, gleam and glow, Let your power shine, Make the clock reverse, Bring back what once was mine_."

The voice was breathy, but it sounded like Kurt was just a little bit upset about his current condition. Burt thanked God that his son was alright. Burt said goodbye, and hung up the phone. Turning to his computer he began typing up his letter of resignation.

Two days later, he wasn't a senator.

Three days later, they found Kurt's corpse not far from the school. He'd been dead five days.

On the fourth day of Angstmas my Thaddeus gave to me, four calling frauds, three exfriends, two roofied gays, and a warbler fatality.


	5. Chapter 5

In a perfect world, they'd still be in Lima, living in the beautiful house the bank took back from them. In that perfect world, they would be sitting in an auditorium, as Tchaikovsky filled the background. Stacey would come out with the rest of the mice, and they would dance around Clara as she slept. Stevie would still have soccer with Brittany's sister on the weekends, and Sam would keep her company as the kids played. A world which didn't have him stripping so his younger brother could have new shoes for school, would be a fantastic one. Even though his old friends from McKinley came and got him, didn't mean he could quit working every day. Just because there wasn't a place nearby that he could strip, didn't mean he hadn't found something to do that would gain more money than fast food.

It made him feel awful, but he set up one of those chain letters you see all the time about cancer patients, and he set up a PayPal account. It took a while before anything came from it, but with that and his fast food job, he made enough to send a goodly amount of money home to his parents. It wasn't enough probably, but it was something to them. Something to buy a little bit of a Christmas this year. When they had been foreclosed on, they hadn't had enough time to pack everything, and one thing left behind were some of the ornaments they had had all the years since Sam had been little. All three of the "Baby's First Christmas" ornaments had been in a box pushed to the back of the attic. They had gotten a small box of Christmas decorations, and the rest had been auctioned off. Some family out there had all of the ornaments Sam had lovingly made in classes throughout his years at elementary school, and he had no idea why they would have bought them. It just wouldn't be the same this year.

It was nice though, inviting Rory to visit his home with him. He would have to share his bed though, since he already shared his room with Stevie. Or Rory could crash on the couch. Either way was fine with Sam. Before he left Lima, he picked up a few gifts for Stevie and Stacey. For his brother, he found a soccer ball for his age group. For Stacey, it was a bit more difficult, but after searching several stores he found a dress for the doll she had kept. It was beautiful, and he knew she loved that doll.

Rory and Sam loaded up into the car that Finn was driving them home in. It was a bit unfortunate that Sam couldn't have taken the vehicle, but everyone understood. Finn would drop off the boys, and pick them up before the club's New Year party. Sam's parents were glad to have their son home, and pretty happy to have Rory. It would have been a bit nice to get him some gifts. He had a few from home, and a present from Brittany already. Sam had got him an American slang dictionary, it seemed like the kid had needed one, even if Sam had only known him a month. Kid was clueless about somethings. Most things to be true, but the kid did know a thing or two about Christmas, and Sam was thankful about that. Thankful that Rory had convinced the rest of the club to come donate their time at the homeless shelter. A place that he had visited a few nights the year before.

It wasn't too bad, but sometimes it's worse when you recognize faces from school there. It makes you connected, and when you see them at school, you feel that you should have this deep connection, but most of them are still people you don't want to be friends with. The jerks on the sports teams, or the guys pushing kids around. Except for that red head, he was pretty chill.

When Sam walked through the doorway to his new home, he suddenly had very heavy legs, as the kids attached themselves. Dragging his feet through the front hall, he made his way to the kitchen, pointing things out to Rory. "Goobs, go get Mom and Pop. Scoot." The two ran out of the kitchen and to another room. "Irish, need anything to drink?" Opening the fridge, he peered in to see the selection. "Looks like it's milk or water."

"I'm fine, Sam Evans."

"Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Use everyone's last name?"

"It's just another way of showing respect, I guess? My parents taught me that family names are good strong names. Like Evans is a common Welsh name. Not that you have to be Welsh."

"I guess I feel you."

The boys put their stuff up, and set the presents under the tree. Sam spotted Rory putting some gifts under the tree with Stevie and Stacey's name on them, and even one to him. The "From" was listed as Itchy the Elf. Sam chuckled, and ruffled Rory's hair. The night passed calmly, and after much coaxing, they got the two children off to bed, followed by the teen boys. Rory spread out his sleeping bag on Sam's bed and slid it over so Sam could fit too.

"Merry Christmas Sam Evans."

"Merry Christmas Rory Flanagan."

The gifts were exchanged. Sam's parents got him a new warm coat. Stacey got a new coloring set, and the dress for her doll. Stevie got his soccer ball, and an airplane kit. 'Itchy' got Stevie a jersey from his favorite team. He got Stacey a new pair of ballet flats. For Sam, a few of his favorite comics he had missed out on. Sam felt a bit bad, knowing that all he got Rory was a novelty T-shirt from Lima. However, when Rory opened it, he got a little misty eyed, and put the shirt on over his pajamas.

"Sam Evans, I will always remember your town, and your family."

"Rory Flanagan, you are an interesting boy."

On the fifth day of angstmas my Thaddeus gave to me, FIVE EV-AN-SES, four calling frauds, three exfriends, two roofied gays, and a warbler fatality.


	6. Chapter 6

After Rachel had made it big on Broadway, she found that the next year's productions had no leading women's roles that she wished to pursue, and so it was she decided that she wanted to have her first child. It was after all, a logical conclusion, as was the logical conclusion that they needed to start trying to conceive around three months before the end of the current season's run. After all, it took a while to be sure she was pregnant, even with a rigorous schedule. It took a while to convince Finn she was serious, but he was ecstatic.

When her period was late two weeks after her closing night performance, she felt her heart swell, surely this meant that she was carrying a future Broadway star, one who would be destined for good things. She picked up an at home test, and kept it a few days before taking it. The two minutes spent staring at the test indicator, waiting for the change to happen were impossibly long. But it was positive, and Rachel rejoiced booking an appointment with the best OBGYN in New York.

Her appointments went well, and the time flew by. They hadn't told any of their friends or family yet, they wanted to wait for a few months, for a Christmaukkah surprise. However, the tabloids didn't want to give her that peace. They didn't really figure it out either; they just made several disparaging remarks about Rachel's gain in wait. How she kept getting her own groceries in extra hideous clothes. It was hard, being so in the public eye and being pregnant. Sure, not all of the food she was eating was going to her baby, but a little here and there would easily be worked off later, right? Rachel scheduled extra time at the gym just in case.

They noticed her extra exercise routine did not cut down on the weight around her middle, even though it had been two months since she had seen the OBGYN, and she wasn't all that far along. As a naturally small woman, she figured it was just the press being overly critical about her body. It wasn't their place to make her feel bad, her doctor said she was fine. Finn and Rachel were going to fly home to Ohio to visit both sets of parents. Kurt would be dropping by, and whether or not he was bringing his arm candy, was yet to be known. Some dark haired stud had been seen laughing with Kurt after his performances around Chicago, not that Rachel really believed those rumors… much. Even though she wasn't cooking Christmas Dinner, Rachel still needed something to bring for Carole as a gift to her. Eventually she had found a "World's Best Grandma" snow globe, and she bought a similar one for her own fathers, with Grandpa of course. They had tiny versions of New York, and if she squinted, she could almost see the poster up for the musical she had just finished. Rachel packed and repacked the bags five times in the week preceding the trip. She just couldn't wait, and even though her back wasn't thrilled with all the work she was doing, she knew it would pay off eventually.

The flight was relatively crowded, as it was the holiday season, but being wealthy had it's perks, like being able to afford first class. Rachel's back was still hurting, but the nice big seats in the plane were quite the comfort to her. Relaxing was not something she tended to do, not even now with an assistant on her payroll. It would simply not do for her to relax too much, even with her condition.

They were met at the airport by both sets of parents. They took everything to the Berry household though, and they set up in a guest room there. Burt and Carole stayed, and the six of them had dinner together, which is when Rachel gave them their snow globes. It was quiet for a moment before the squeals and shouts of excitement began. They all embraced warmly, but Rachel was feeling a bit tired, so she went to bed early.

Pain awoke Rachel, and she got out of bed. Her abdomen was cramping, and she fled to the bathroom. Looking down, her thighs were coated in blood, and she cried out. Shaking, she dialed 911, and explained her situation. They calmly talked to her, and got her settled back down. Miscarriage was serious, but it would be better if she was calm, and that there was nothing to be done now, but they could send someone out, as a council type person. Rachel thanked them for their time, and declined the house visit. Fixing herself a bath, her tears renewed, and she was thankful that once they slipped into the tub, they could not be determined from the bathwater.

On the sixth day of Angstmas my Thaddeus gave to me, Six Gleeks not laying, FIVE EV-AN-SES, four calling frauds, three exfriends, two roofied gays, and a warbler fatality.


	7. Chapter 7

His mother had warned him that his stupidity would be the end of him. If he had listened, Puck probably wouldn't be in the trunk of this car lying next to a bag of cement. Of course, if he had listened to everything his mother had told him, he'd be at home married to a nice Jewish girl with a kid or two. That situation was still preferable than his current one, and a lot less deadly.

It had mostly started a year ago, when Puck decided to blow twenty bucks on a bet at a tavern. He had won, and instead of doing the sensible thing and going home with the winnings, he bet more on the next one, and lost all of it. The winnings he had had, and the extra he bet on the second game. So began his weekly bets, and eventually he was hoping to win so he could pay off the debt he owed the bookies. Every Saturday night, he'd sit in the lounge at the Giamatti's Family Restaurant, and every Sunday morning he'd cry into his coffee. Well, maybe not every Sunday.

One day, they came by his house, and broke his arm. "You can't get money from a dead man," they told him. It was then, Puck realized he needed to get out from under their thumb. He also knew, that he knew a lot about their organization, from just overhearing things on his Saturday trips. So it was, that he offered to wear a wire to his next trip there. His nerves weren't as bad as he had expected, he had gotten a bit of acting experience at home, trying not to get smacked upside the head from his mother. The cops paid him a decent enough amount, and they only swept up a few low level punks that week, waiting for more audio evidence for the bigger fish.

That went well for two weeks, until they had caught on to where the evidence was being leaked, Saturday night betting parlor talk. They figured out who had been leaking pretty quickly, and picked up Noah from his house, and so it was he was here in the trunk, driving to some unknown final resting place. A river wouldn't be too bad, waterfront property and all. Although it would be cooler to be part of a building, in case they ever find his body. Suddenly the car slowed to a stop, and the engine cut.

He had reached his final destination.

The trunk opened, and he saw the face of his executioner. It was one of the cops from the department. Ah, it seemed a bit easier to find how he was picked out from the other riffraff who frequent the bar. As Puck was given the last pair of shoes he would ever wear, he wondered who would miss him in this town, or even in the entire world. The only person he could think of was his mother, and he knew that was a lie. There was a smile on his face as they pitched him into the river.

On the seventh day of Angstmas my Thaddeus gave to me, Seven sleepers with the fishes, Six Gleeks not laying, FIVE EV-AN-SES, four calling frauds, three exfriends, two roofied gays, and a warbler fatality.


	8. Chapter 9

So, halfway through uploading all of these, I've discovered that I skipped day eight. We don't need any maids a milking do we?

Trouble Tone choreography was a lot more difficult than New Directions, and Mercedes felt a bit silly for arguing about booty camp. However, since everyone in the group was expected to have the same amount of choreography. Even though Brittany already knew the routine, she was expected to stay, because a team functions best as a whole. As a team, they functioned well. Better than they had under Mr. Schuester's direction. Although she missed some of her friends, she knew it was for the best… for her anyway. It was her life, and she had to do what was best for her future career. For now, that would be being able to shine in this group, rather than shimmer in the background of theirs.

All the practicing was starting to get to her, and Shelby could tell, so she called break for the rest of the day. It was about time for football to get out, so she walked to meet Shane after their showers. At her locker, she grabbed her books she needed for homework that night, and stood for a moment. Her legs were a bit quivery, but it was from all the dancing she had done. Walking to the locker rooms, she felt herself getting a bit slower. It would feel fantastic when she could go home and sit for a while.

A few of the other boys trickled out of the locker room, but Shane wasn't one of them. Luckily, Sam wasn't either. In fact, they came out together, laughing about something. They both stopped short, standing in front of the door, blocking people behind them. Strando shoved both of them lightly, pushing them into the hallway further, and closer to Mercedes. "So, why's my boo talking to my ex?"

"Baby girl, we were just talking about the game, don't worry. Thompson's been slacking, and your boy Sam here, he's been doing it a bit better. Told him he should be Lightnin' not 'White Chocolate'. Why does Hudson call you that?" The color in Sam's face drained from the question.

"No. No reason. It's just. A name. I picked up somewhere, I'll see you guys later," Sam said rather abruptly. He departed quickly, and Mercedes didn't ponder it too deeply. Surely Kurt would give her the deets later. Shane walked with her through the hallways, and drove her home. They didn't have to ride together, but she liked to. It gave them opportunity to drive together, and he would always tell her how beautiful she sounded when she sang along to the radio. Shane also told her, that one day, she'd be on the radio too, and she could have a duet in the car. Most of the time, Shane would drive, but there had been a few occasions when she did the couple's driving. It just meant she couldn't fiddle with the radio as much.

When she got home, her mother had some paperwork for her to look at. The last time she had gone to the doctor's office, they had done some preliminary blood tests. One of which was a glucose check. It had been too high, and it was official. They needed to treat her for diabetes now. She'd been afraid of that for a while, as some days before 'booty camp' she noticed she was more irritable if she ate later in the day. It wasn't ideal, but she tried to stretch out mealtimes so she wouldn't get her glucose too high, but either extreme wasn't good for her. Her doctor scheduled an appointment that week for more tests. One was set the day of the competition. She hoped she wouldn't be thrown too much by whatever he'd tell her then.

On the Ninth day of Angstmas, my Thaddeus gave to me, Nine Ladies Dancing… kind of, eight missing pages, I apologize, I'll figure something out about that, Seven sleepers with the fishes, Six Gleeks not laying, FIVE EV-AN-SES, four calling frauds, three exfriends, two roofied gays, and a warbler fatality.


	9. Chapter 10

The world looked different from above. It gave you a perspective, about how everyone's life is so little. There are so many people struggling, and you can see that when you're on the roof of a building. Of course, if you stay too long, the people start looking back. Start to stare at the boy sitting on the roof. It makes this whole situation a lot more difficult. Scouting all over town, he only found one apartment building with roof access and no buzzed entry. Noah Puckerman had helped with that. As a pool boy, and as a rebellious teenager, he knew a lot about apartments.

A few blonde heads were among the people looking upwards. He imagined it was Sam Evans and Quinn Fabray. Sam had been so nice. It would be bad for him to see this. The blonds walked on, and he breathed a sigh of relief. A crowd had not gathered, so the people who looked must not understand his true intentions. Few would understand them. He had written a note though. It was in his locker at school. He didn't want Mrs. Pierce finding the note and call the authorities before he was done.

Rory's friendship with Finn had stopped most of the bullying. He still felt out of place, and ignored in America. In the hallways at school it was the worst. Everyone stared at him, and they didn't walk near him, leaving him a wide berth. The ones who didn't were on one of the men's sports teams. They would walk much too close for his comfort, and if he made eye contact they'd bump into him 'accidently'.

Nothing he could prove of course, it would be too easy to stop. While Finn Hudson had tried to stop it all, he was busy, trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. Ohio State didn't want him for football, and he wasn't a born performer. The only thing that really worked for him was mechanics, and that wouldn't work out well in his wish to follow Ms. Rachel Berry to New York. Finn had confided a lot of this to Rory over friendly talks during lunches while Rachel Berry was suspended. Kurt and Blaine had offered to sit with Finn, but he felt that he needed to be away from couples as he felt single at school with her at home.

It was cold, but it hadn't really snowed this year. It would be bad to stain the beautiful snow, but all the snow on the ground was the already a dirty grey. Soon it would be a dingy red. Rory had one last thing to do. Pulling his battered phone out of his pocket, he dialed home. It was late there, and his answering machine picked up. After the beep, he took a few steadying breaths. "Mam, Da? I just want to say I love you. I love you all. Seamus, keep your bell on you, and don't stray. I… I just wanted to say that I love you. You couldn't have been better parents. Remember that."

Final message recorded, he stood up on the edge of the building. There was a sudden gust of wind, and he thought he might fly if he dove into the wind then. So he did.

On the Tenth day of Angstmas, my Thaddeus gave to me, Ten Leps a Leaping, Nine Ladies Dancing, eight missing pages, Seven sleepers with the fishes, Six Gleeks not laying, FIVE EV-AN-SES, four calling frauds, three exfriends, two roofied gays, and a warbler fatality.


	10. Chapter 11

Hamelin was overrun. For some reason, the rats in town were over populating the city, and causing there to be disease in the city. There were rewards posted, if one person knew how to rid the town of the rats. People tried, but no one was successful, but the story spread through out the country. 1000 pieces of gold to the man or woman who could eradicate the beasts.

So the story reached the ears of a man who could do it. He had once been called by his name, but he hadn't spoken it in so long, that he knew no one knew his name, not even him. A pipe was all he owned, and that was fine by him. A pipe wasn't much, but this one was quite the pipe, as it could charm any beast under the sun to do anything he wanted it to do. He had made enough to live off by herding sheep, but 1000 pieces of gold would be enough to have a home, to feed a family, not that he had one yet. It would mean he could play his pipe for comfort, and not for gain. So, passing the sheep onto a neighboring shepherd, he set off to Hamelin, to seek a great reward.

He had taken to the pipe early in his life. It was a way to communicate, and one day his father had brought him this pipe. Learning had been easy, but he had first noticed the animals had been affected later in his adult years. Once he had played a lovely tune, wishing that a bird would join it, and it did. In fact, all the birds in the trees near unto him began harmonizing with his tune. It was miraculous. Over the next week, he tried it on other animals. Dogs, cats, even sheep responded to the songs that he played. It took little effort to keep in charge of them, no matter what he had them do. Now all he had to do, was play the rats away from Hamelin, and he would be rich.

He met with Mayor Figgins of Hamelin. His treasurer seemed uneasy to let so much gold go, but he assured the mayor that he would take the money after he played. The notes took vary little time to write, and the mayor didn't mind a mute offering to do this miracle of miracles. The Piper took his leave, and waited until night time arrived, because the rats would be more active then.

After night fell, it took little time to gather all the rats. He felt awful abusing his pipe's power this way, but he led them to the river, and sent them forth into the waters. Drowning was a terrible way to go, but they had to be gone. He wouldn't kill another one for he rest of his life, as they screamed while they drowned. It was terrible. Surely there would have been an easier way for them to be rid of the beasts, but it was not his place to put forth judgement. As the last one dove into the water, his music stopped, and he went on his way.

The morning dawned clear and bright. People he passed on the street thanked him, and he felt a bit better about what he had done to the rats, finding his way back to the town hall, he felt pride in his work. These people would be better off. Even if people were so judgemental about his condition. Animals were always his friends, and it hurt him to treat them this way. Pushing into the town hall, he strode with reason. A smiling mayor met him, and led him to the room where they had met last.

"I'm sorry I have to tell you this, but would appear you were a tad less than thorough during your sweep of the city." Sylvester brought forth a cage with a single rat. "While we will pay you a fair rate, you will not be able to receive the full thousand." A small purse was pushed into his hands. Fire burned within his soul, and he knew this was not the end of it. He would have the upper hand. He threw the money away, and wrote a quick note.

"You will pay one way Mayor. Flesh or Gold."

Figgins just shrugged.

"There is nothing I can do. I'm sorry."

So it was, that The Piper took to the streets, this time playing a song he didn't know. A song to call the children. All of them followed, every single one followed dumbly, as quiet as he had been all of his life. One small boy lagged behind, relying on crutches, but The Piper pushed forward leading the children on the same route he had taken the night before.

So it was, that Hamelin lost all of it's children in one day. All save Artie, as he was too slow to follow the children.

On the eleventh day of angstmas my Thaddeus gave to me… Eleven Brad's the Piper, Ten Leps a Leaping, Nine Ladies Dancing, eight missing pages, Seven sleepers with the fishes, Six Gleeks not laying, FIVE EV-AN-SES, four calling frauds, three exfriends, two roofied gays, and a warbler fatality.


	11. Chapter 12

The news had been a bit of a shock. He had always been so young. He couldn't have been much more than fifteen years their senior. Rachel had dropped the glass she had been holding. He was still so young. Nowhere near the age you should be when you die. Mr. Schue seemed to have sung his swan song early. She called into her director, and told him she needed a week off. Her understudy would get her big break that week. Finn was easy to convince. He of all people owed Schue almost everything. A career, a wife, a son. Christopher William Hudson… it took them a while to agree on a middle name. After remembering everything Schue had done for them, they agreed that they should honor him. Chris was seven now, and he had only met his one namesake twice before. They hadn't made it over to visit him on his annual Glee Christmas's celebrations for a few years.

Samuel and Mercedes packed up their three kids into the back of their station wagon. Skyler and his twin Samantha were asleep in their car seats. Scotty was nine, and he was fiddling with a game device. Mercedes had a lot to do keeping up with the kids, but she still had a taste of fame herself. An album she had put out had been well received, leaving enough money to start a family. Sam worked construction, and he was pretty good at it. They had moved to Chicago, so it wasn't that much of a drive; as long as the twins stayed asleep.

Tina and mike packed up their studio. Their students understood, and wished them well on their trip. California was lovely, but quite far from home. After college they had spent some time dancing. Eventually though, they had found a studio so they could settle and raise a family. Unfortunately they hadn't been blessed with a child yet, and they were on a waiting list for an adoption. In reality, they had a hundred children or so, from all of the classes they taught. Still they longed for one who would go home with them every night. Flipping off the lights, they said goodbye to their second home. At the airport, they would realize that they forgot the dance shoes Mr. Schue had given Mike for graduation. He had wanted to show that they had been well loved.

Kurt packed several ties with the suit he had picked. He wasn't sure what the floral arrangements would be, so he couldn't decide a tie here. Flipping through the last few in his collection, he saw one that was navy blue, and a black quarter note was resting on it. Mr. Schue had gotten it for him at graduation. A pair of strong arms embraced him. His husband's breath tickled his hear. "David, I need to finish this." David let go hesitantly, but stayed behind him. "Is your bag ready?" An affirmative grunt was the response he received. "Well, I guess we better go then." They were in New York, like Finn and Rachel. Kurt designed clothes, and Dave was an architect. They spent their nights often with Finn, as Rachel was working most nights. Chris loved his uncles.

Emma was surprised at how much Sue offered to help with the funeral. She hadn't thought that they had been that close, but Sue had insisted it was more for Will's benefit. Glee students from different graduating classes were coming to attend. Emma had put in a little time for all of them to perform a group number. The students in the current club were devastated. Emma offered to coach, but Shelby Corcoran stepped up. Beth was going to be a senior next year, and Shelby wanted to be a part of her education.

The church was full of students from the past sixteen years or so. Not all of them were famous or wealthy, but all of them were grateful. Mr. Schuester had been a great teacher, as he blessed the world through his students. He was a good man, and there were a few eulogies. When it came to the musical number, they gathered together. It had taken a while to pick a song, but Quinn, not Fabray anymore but Johnson, suggested they sing the song they sang for him the first year they had glee club. "To Sir With Love." Their voices may have cracked with grief, but it was still beautiful to Emma's ears.

On the twelth day of angstmas my Thaddeus gave to me… Twelve Singers Mourning, Eleven Brad's the Piper, Ten Leps a Leaping, Nine Ladies Dancing, eight missing pages, Seven sleepers with the fishes, Six Gleeks not laying, FIVE EV-AN-SES, four calling frauds, three exfriends, two roofied gays, and a warbler fatality.


End file.
